Go-cart.



No. 780,808. PATENTED JAN.24, 1905.

- G. E. OHEARN.

G0 CART. APPLICATION mum 811F123, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'Wi Enesses lnuen q QT Q0 Dfn ew m. I George E. [:1 [jgcrm No. 780,808. PATENTED JAN. 24', 1905.

OHEA'RN.

. GOCART. v I APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 222222 4.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[3 Inlefl cov pc m m e D 6 W%W, I BE U ITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. OHEARN, OF GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HEYWOOD BROTHERS AND WAKEFIELD COMPANY, OF GARDNER, MAS- SACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION' OF NEW JERSEY.

I GO-CART.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,808, dated January 24, 1905 Application filed September 23, 1904. Serial No. 225,556.

To a, whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, GEORGE E. OHEARN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gardner, in the county of Worcester and Common wealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Go-Oarts, of which the following is a specification accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, in Which Figure 1 represents a side view of a go-cart embodying my invention and shown in its extended or using position. Fig. 2 is a, side view representing the go-cart in a folded position. Fig. 3 is a'plan view of the runninggears, the body having been removed. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the runninggear in its extended position, the section being taken on line mm, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the running-gear shown in a folded position, the section being taken on line as m, Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a detailed sketch of the brake mechanism.

Similar reference-figures refer to similar parts in the diflerent views.

My present invention relates to a go-c'art which may be folded into a compact form for convenience of transportation or storage and still be capable of use in its folded position; and my invention consists in the'construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described, and set forth in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes the seat of the go-cart, 2 the back, and 3 the footboard, said back and footboard being hinged to the front and rear endsofthe seat in the manner common in vehicles of this class, said back and footboard being capable of being held in any adjusted position desired or of being folded within the side 4 of the gocart, as shown in Fig. 2. The body portion of the go-cart, comprising the seat, back, footboard, and sides, is. rigidly supported upon suitable springs 5 5, which are mounted upon a pair of reaches 6 6. The reaches 6 6 rest upon a front axle 7 and a rear axle Sand are held in place on the axles by clips 9, through which the reaches are capable of sliding. J ournaled in the center of the two reaches is a rod 10, provided at one end with a crank-arm 11, and attached to the rod 10 are radial levers 12 12 and 13 13. The free ends of the levers 12 are pivotally connected by links 14 14 with the front axle 7, and the free ends of the levers 13 are similarly pivotally connected by links 15 15 with the rear axle 8, so that the partial rotation of the rod 10 in carrying the radial levers 12 and 13 from the position shown in Fig. 4

1130 that shown in Fig. 5 and by means of the links 14 and 15 will cause the axles 7 and 8 to slide on the reaches 6 to bring them nearer together. as shown in Fig. 5. To the rear ends of the reaches .6 are pivoted the vertical handle-bars 16 16, which are pivotally connected by links 17 17 with the radial arms 13. When the arms 13 are in the position shown in Fig. 4, the links 17 allow the handle-bars 16 to stand in proper position at the rear of the back 2 to be conveniently used in pushing the go-cart, as shown in Fig. 1; but when the arms 13 are swung I into the position shown in Fig. 5 the handle- ;bars 16 are swung forward on their pivotal connection with the reaches into the position shown in Fig. 2, bringing the upper ends of the handle-bars forward over the sides 4 ofthe go-cart and within the vertical plane ;of the reaches 6. Pivoted to the upper ends of the handle-bars 16 are handles 18, said handles being clamped to-the handle-bars in a rearwardlyextended position, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of clamping-bolts and wingnuts 19.

In order to render the vehicle more compact when folded together, the wing-nuts 19 may be loosened and the handles 18 thrown forward over the sides 4 into the position shown in Fig. 2. The links 14 14 are turned downwardly at their free ends, as shown at 20, and the downwardly-turned ends 20 are mortised to receive elastic bar 21, connected at its central section by a chain 22 to a lever 23, hinged upon a bracket 24 attached to the rear axle and normally held in a raised position by a spring 25. By depressing the lever 23 against the tension of the spring 25 a pulling strain is exerted upon the chain 22 to deflect the center of the elastic bar 21, drawing its central section toward the rear axle and carrying its free ends 26 26 against the rims of the forward wheels 27 with sufficient pressure to prevent the rotation of the forward wheels, thereby serving as a brake upon the vehicle. In applying the brake by depressing the lever 23 the lever 23 is depressed far enough to bring the line of draft of the chain 22 below the center of the pivotal connection of the lever 23 with its bracket 24, thereby permanently holding the free ends 26 of the brake-bar against the forward wheels. As the elastic brake-bar 21 is carried upon the ends of the links 1 1, which are pivotally connected to the sliding forward axle 7, the sliding movement of the axle on the reaches 6 6 does not vary the relation between the free ends 26 of the brake-bar and the periphery of the front wheels during the folding movement of the vehicle. When the rotating rod 10 is turned to bring the radial levers 12 and 13 horizontal, the front and rear axles 7 and 8 are then extended toward the ends of the reaches 6, and as the pivotal connections between the axles and the radial levers are substantially on a line with the center of the rotating rod 10 the axles are then substantially locked in position. By slightly lifting the crank-arm 11 to throw the ends of the levers 12 and 13, respectively, below and above the center of the rod .10 the front and rear axles may be pushed together from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 5, thereby carrying the radial levers 12 and 13 into the position shown in Fig. 5 and by means of the link connection 17 swinging the handlebars 16 forward over the seat of the vehicle.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-.

1. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a reach, axles slidable thereon, pivoted handle-bars and intermediate connecting mechanism between said handle-bars and said axles, whereby they are moved simultaneously.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a reach, axles slidable thereon, rocking levers, links connecting said levers and said axles, and means for rocking said levers to slide the axles on the reach.

3. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a reach comprising two rigid parallel bars, a carriage-body supported thereon, axles slidable on said reach and connecting mechanism for producing a simultaneous sliding movement of the axles on the reach.

4. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a reach, axles slidable thereon, a rod journaled in said reach, radial arms attached to said rod, links connecting said arms and said axles, and means for rocking said rod and simultaneously moving said axles.

5. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination with the reach and body, of axles capable of sliding toward each other in folding the go-cart, handle-bars pivoted at their lower ends and connecting mechanism between said axles and said push-handles, whereby the latter are moved toward the body of the gocart as the axles are moved nearer together.

6. In a vehicle of the class descrilmd, the combination with a reach, of axles capable of being moved toward the center of the reach, push-handles pivoted to said reach and capable of swinging forward toward the reach, and means for moving said axles and said handlebars in folding the go-cart.

7. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination with a reach, of a front axle, wheels carried on said axle, means for moving said axle on said reach, a pair of links pivotally connected to said axle and a brake-bar carried by said links.

8. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination with a reach, springs rigidly supported on said reach, a body rigidly supported on said springs, a folding back, hinged to said body, a folding footboard hinged to said body, handle-bars pivoted to said reach, axles slidable on said reach and means for simultaneously sliding said axles and rocking said pivoted handle-bar's.

Dated this 19th day of September, 190a.

GEORGE E. OHEARN.

\Vitnesses:

E. S. Dow, J. H. L. SMEAD. 

